St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-12
slower. Higher.
THE COMMON SENSE OF 1T.

LIE CoNhON SENSE OF' IL.
There is no use in attempting to dis
guise the fact that the carpenters strike
is infiicting serious injury upon the city,
nor is any good to be accomplished by
making a miSStatement Of facts concern
ing the attituue of either party to the
controversy. 1t is a serious matter and
should be discussed and dealt with in
frank, straightforward manner. There
is no necessity for mincing words on the
one hand, nor using epithetS or exhibit
ing temper on the other. The situation
is simply this: The st. Paul carpenters
have reached the conclusion that nine
hours ought to constitute full days
work. In this view of the matter they
have the sympathy Of other tradeSmen,aS
has been exhibited in the action taken by
the bricklayers. So that it may be fairly
stated that the workingmen of this city
practically unite in the demand
for the nine-hour system. The
builders and contractors are not
willing to make this concession be-
cause their estimates have been made
and their contracts entered into on
: the basis of ten hours for days work.
The reduction of one hour day would
result in a loss of twenty-siX hours
4peonth to the contractor for each labOrer
employed by him, or total of $50 hours.
or nearly eleven days in the five months
which yet remain for outdoor work. A
contractor who employs ten hands
would suffer a loss on his contracts of
from $3.50 to $500 by yielding to the de-
mandS of the workingmen, the loss being
greater or smaller in proportion to the
number of laborerS he employed. If the
-workingmen gain their point and their
demands are acceded to, it results in
neither financial benefit nor loss to
them. They simply gain $50 hours of
extra time during the outdoor working
season. So that in it's financial aspects
the monetary loss to both contractors
and laborors has already been as great
OR greater than it would have been if
the controversy had been settled the
first day of the strike on a basis that
either party to the controversy would
have been willing to accept.
The builders have already suffered as
great loss from the delay in their con-
tract work as if they had acceded to the
demands of the carpenters, while on the
other hand, the laborerS have lost their
wages for a number of days, which
means something to men whose daily
toll is the only means of support for
their families.
But the buffers and the Workingmen
both contend that there is a principle
involved in the settlement of this con-
trOverSy which is of more value to them
than any mere monetary consideration.
The principle which they speak of is,
after all, only conflict between two
distinct organizations that ought to be
in accord instead of antagoniStic to each
other. 1t is q useless trial of strength
between the Builders association and
the Workingmen's union. All the more
useless because the welfare of one is
essential to the prosperity of the other
1t is like quarrel between two men,
bers of the same firm whose interests
are identical, but who have different
way of looking at things. AS as
serted by one side, the contrac-
tors may have made the mistake
of assuming all imperiousness which
they have no right to affect,
and as stated by the other side the labor
ers may possibly have pursued tyranni-
cal course which their appreciation of
the opportunity enabled them to do
but not justify. But these things are
neither here nor there in an adjustment
of this trouble. 1t is not the part of
sensible men to make faces at each other
and to indulge in examinations and re-
examinations. There is a business-like
way to settle this affair. Let the con-
tractors and the authorized agents of the
labor unions meeti in personal conference
and discuss the matters in difference
between them in spirit of fairness and
with the purpose of doing right each by
the other. When such conference is
held it will not be two hours until a
satisfactory conclusion is reached and
the Industrious whack of the carpenters
hammer and the bricklayer's trowel
will be heard all over the city again.